Toyota, Toyota Tsusho and Denso take $15m stake in Airbiquity to accelerate connected vehicle tech

Seattle-based Airbiquity Inc, a global leader in connected vehicle services and a pioneer in the development of automotive telematics technology, has announced a $15 million minority investment in the company from Toyota Motor Corporation, Denso Corporation, and Toyota Tsusho Corporation. This investment will support Airbiquity’s expansion of the development of connected vehicle software technology and cloud-based services.

Additionally, the four parties will collaborate to accelerate the development and commercialisation of an automotive grade over-the-air (OTA) system enabling remote vehicle software updates and management; increased production and operational efficiencies throughout the vehicle lifecycle; and new mobility services powered by data and analytics. Central to this alliance is Airbiquity’s market-leading OTAmatic software and data management offering for connected vehicles.

OTA systems have been increasingly commercialised to update the software of multimedia products, such as car navigation systems. This is critical for automakers as the industry quickly moves toward electrification and autonomous vehicles. Airbiquity operates the industry's most advanced cloud-based connected vehicle service delivery platform, Choreo, and supports all leading use cases including OTA software update and data management. Working with Airbiquity, automakers and automotive suppliers have deployed highly scalable, manageable, and secure connected vehicle service programs meeting the needs of their customers in over 60 countries around the world.
Airbiquity has a successful track record in delivering software products for in-vehicle multimedia products to many automakers and is also known for its ability to ensure security in OTA systems. Denso says it will accelerate the development of secure and highly reliable OTA systems in cooperation with Toyota Motor and Toyota Tsusho by harnessing Airbiquity’s engineering capabilities and developmental strengthens and resources. 

Denso, the world’s second largest mobility supplier, has taken a $5m (Rs 31 crore) stake in Airbiquity. “Denso envisions a future where people everywhere enjoy the freedom and convenience of mobility. That’s why we’ve been actively and aggressively investing in and teaming up with industry-leading partners like Airbiquity to deliver safe and reliable automated driving technology,” said Tony Cannestra, director of Corporate Ventures at Denso. “Secure OTA systems that update and control vehicle functionality are a key component in tomorrow’s connected car.”